Metal trim for countertops and the like



Feb- 26, 1957 s. HAMMER 2,783,111

` METAL TRIM FOR COUNTERTOPS AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 24, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR f7/w54 HHM/WEE.

ATTORNEY Feb. 26, 1957 s. HAMMER METAL TRIM FOR COUNTERTOPS AND THE LIKE AFiled Dec.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l INVENTOR.. .5w/waa HHM/15E HWF/YEX lVIETAL TRM FOR COUNTERTOPS AND THE LIKE Samuel Hammer, New York, N. Y., assignor to United Metal Cabinet Corporation, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 24, 1954, Serial No. 477,444

6 Claims. (Cl. 311-107) This invention relates to metal trim and more particularly to trim for use on sink and other cabinet decks and is an improvement upon my prior application S. N. 399,962 filed December 23, 1953 and issued February 15, 1955 as Patent No. 2,702,221.

The present invention proposes improved construction obtaining tighter fit of trim on the surface material of the cabinet deck.

More specifically, the invention is directed to obtaining a tight fit at the concave portion of said surface material where curving from one plane to another.

The invention contemplates utilization of tensioning means for production of the desired tight fit, and provision of such means that is out sight when the deck is fully installed.

Other objects, advantages and novel features will appear to persons skilled in the art to which the invention appertains as the description proceeds, both by direct recitation thereof and by inference from the context.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views;

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sinkto which my invention has been applied;l l

Figure 2l is a sectional-elevation on line lI-II of Fig. 3;

Figure 3 is a sectional view on line III-III of Fig. 2;

Figure 4 is a rear sectional elevation as on line lV-IV of Fig. 3;`

Figure 5 is a perspective view of my improved trim, assembled as if in place on a sink or other cabinet;

Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the individual members of the trim; and

Figure 7 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the Ytrim before tensioning for obtaining the desired tight t.

In the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in said drawnigs, the reference numeral 10 designates a cabinet having a deck 11 whichhas been selected for the present showing, as including a sink 12. Said deck is furthermore here shown as comprising a sheet metal body portion 13 covered with a surface material 14 of formica or other suitable facing. It is usual for decks of this character to have a counter portion 15'positioned horizontally kand with a front roll 16 integral therewith. Present-day decks likewise have an upstanding back Wall or splash-bib 17 and the "horizontally disposed counter l15 and bib 17 are integralv with each other, joined by an intervening concavely curved fillet portion 18. The top of the bib 17 usually bends rearwardly, forming what may be ,termed a narrow shelf portion 19, and at the rear thereof has a downwardly directed rim 20. The trim of the present invention covers the end edges of the deck consisting of said counter, roll, llet, bib, shelf, rim and surface material, and overlaps the adjoining v surface portions thereof.y Furthermore, said trimis con-v structed to also constitute a supporting frame or` bracket for the deck 11. An essential rfeature of the present inventon is to obtain and maintain tight engagement of the trim against the front or top surface of the surface material.

Viewing the trim from the side which in use is toward the cabinet deck, the same has a generally channel shape. Said trim furthermore is in two sections, namely, a cleat section 21 that can be slipped onto the end of the deck and constitutes a support therefor, and a binder section 22 applied to overlap the end margin of the body portion 13 and facing material 14. After being thus applied, the binder section is tightened in place and makes firm surface engagement with the margin of surface materialv both at the flat and at the curved portions of said margin. This essential objective is obtained by clamping means which is described in greater detail hereinaften The cleat section provides mounting flanges, of which one is a foot flange 23 extending horizontally the greater part of the length of the cleat and integral, at its rear end, with the other mounting flange which is an upright flange 24. Both the foot flange and the rear flange are integral, at one side, with a side web 25 which is in a vertical plane perpendicular to the planes of said flanges, and accordingly provides a longitudinal forwardly directed part 26 thereof next to the foot flange and an upwardly directed part 27 next to the rear flange. The edges of these two parts of the side web facing toward the deck and splash bib respectively merge one into the other with a curved edge 28 substantially corresponding in curvature to that of the fillet 18 of the deck. Furthermore, at the front of the forwardly directed part 26 of web 25 the edge 29 thereof follows the curvature of front roll 16 of the deck, and at the top of upwardly directed part 27 of the web, the edge 30 thereof follows the curvature of shelf 19 of the deck. These curvatures may be readily formed by simple cutting dies. The side web, from curve to curve, has inwardly directed pillow flanges of which pillow flange 31 is at the upper edge of forwardly directed part 26 and is parallel to the foot flange 23, and the pillow liange 32 is at the forward edge of ,the upwardly extending part 27 and is sloped upwardly rear- Ward toward rear flange 24 agreeable to the slope of bib 17. The fact that these pillow flanges are each completely planar enables them to be readily bentkto position from the same material constituting the web and integral therewith. Said pillow flanges are provided with holes 33 for attachment of binder section 22 hereinafter more fully explained. It is to be emphasized that none of the curved edges have flanges thereat and that, all flanges of the cleat section are essentially flat.

The binder section 22 has a general shape following the contour of the adjacent edge of the cleat section, and provides means for covering the end edges of the body 13 and surface material 14 of the deck, and means for overlapping the margins thereof -next to said edges. More specifically, a strip of metal, preferably of the same kind as employed for the cleat section, is formed with a hori- Zontal flat portion 34 proportioned in length to the corresponding dimension of the counter, and an upwardly directed fiat portion 35 corresponding in length and slope to the height and slope of bib 17. Both of these fiat portions 34 and 35 curl at their outer longitudinal edges to form a proximate parallel flange 36, 37l respectively. Portiony 34 is spaced from its flange 36 a distance just sufficient to provide a groove to receive the marginal edge of body 13 and material 14 therebetween as are also portion 35 and its flange 37. The width of said flanges 36, 37 is shown greater than the width of the corresponding flat portions 34, 35 and preferably is as great as the width of the cleat pillow flanges 31, 32 upon which theyI are juxtaposed.

Binder section 22 has a curved-fillet section-33 agreeable to the curved edge 2S of the cleat section and fillet 3 18 of the deck.A Along the outside edge of this fillet section 38 of the binder, the material thereof is bent backward to provide a lip or rim 39 adapted to overlap and cover curved edge 28 at the outside of side web 25 of cleat 21. Similarly the front end-ofibinder section, 22 curves'to follow the rollof the-frontipart of thefdeclc andthe edge of that curved portion of the binder section has a lip` web at the corresponding `curved portionsl thereof and' at the outside of said.web.

Both the top and bottom ends of ,the binder section 22 `have end tabs 42 for securing the` binder section to the mounting flanges 24,23 respectively, and as both are alike, description will be made of the one at the forward end of the binder, corresponding numerals being applied to the like construction at the top end of the binder. Said tab extends onto the surface of the mounting flange 23 `(or 24) to a socket opening` 43 provided therefor in said flange. The metal at the far-end of said opening is deflected inwardly of the channel of which the flange is a part and constitutes a fixed ear 44. The tab has an entry portion 45 sloping inwardly of the channel through said opening and beyond said entry portion is a conversely sloping clamping portion 46 parallel, when assembled, to the fixed ear 44 ofthe cleat. The fixed ear is provided with a threaded hole 47 and receives a screw 48 introduced through an unthreaded hole 49 in the clamping portion 46 of the tab. Tension on the tab is applied by turning the screw home and this tension is subject to such adjustment as may be found necessary when subsequently drawing the binding member, by means yet to be described, into the concavity of the fillet. Normally, however, the screw is pulled vup tight, and any slightgive that may be required thereafter will be accorded by `resilient delle'ctionof the tab Aand ear. It will be observed that the screws are `available for manipulation after the trim is lin place on the deck` 111 order to obtain lan assured:tight contact of the fillet sectionli of the binder 22 lwith the fillet 15 of the deck, tensioning; clampingV lmeans t therefor t are 'provided as an essential feature of` the present invention. The specificmeans here shown includes a rearward extension 51 from horizontal flange 36 or" said binder V22, said `extension curving rearwardly upward with substantially thesame curvature as the deck fillet. The upper end of said extension is bent horizontally rearward forming a protruding tongue 52.A The upwardly directed flange 37 of binder 22 `has a corresponding rearwardly protruding tongue 53, said'tongues being substantially parallel and spaced from each other and having axially aligned `holes 54 therein. A-screw-bolt 55 passes through the two holes, having a nut 56 thereon above the upper tongue and having its `head 57 below the lower Vtongue so that by drawingtup on the screw-bolt, the tongues `will be drawn toward each other. Except for its integral attachment f at its lower forward end to the horizontal flange 36, said extension is free at its lateral edge from the fillet 38 'of the binder and therefore may pressrmly against the under side of the deck fillet. However, by virtue of the integral continuation of the extension from the horizontal flange,tension applied by screw-bolt 55 tends to pull Vthat flange rearwardly and in doing so` will force fillet 33 of the binder tightly into the fillet ofthe deck. Similarly, thetensionof the screw-bolt also pulls downward upon upper tongue S3 and the flange 37 with which it is anV integral part, and thus again the binder fillet 38 is forced tightly into the deck fillet. Consequently the screw-bolt in co-operation with the tongues and flanges and the semifree extension obtain tight engagement of the binder fillet 38 with the deck fillet 18. ln general terminology, the extension 51, tongues 52, 53 and screw-bolt 55 may be referred to as a clamp. lt will be observed that screwbolt 55 is available for manipulation after the trim is in place on the deck.

Both flanges 36, 37 of the binder section have outstanding burrs 50 at appropriate places thereon to register with and enter aforementioned holes 33 in the respective pillow flanges of the cleat. In effecting assembly, the binder 22 is slid onto the end margin of the body 13 and material 14 and the fillet curve 38 `of the binder juxtaposed upon fillet 18 of material 14, the burrs 50 and their holes 33 then being in registration, and while the binder is thus positioned the burrs are bent to rivet the binder substantially in place. There is, however, enough give and play in the rivets and holes to allow for the screw tensioning. lf preferred, the rivetting may be performed after the screw tensioning has been effected. The screw tensioning is obtained by first securing theends of the binder 22 with screws 48 and then pulling up on screw-bolt 55 which enforces tight engagement of the `binder throughout its length inclusive of both the convex and concave curves.

I claim:

1.Trim` of the character described comprisinga binder constituted as an elongated integral unit having longitudinally thereof straight, convex and concave portions in predetermined `successive order, and a clamp located intermediate of the ends of said unit interconnecting two of said portions for pulling said binder longitudinally of all ofh said portions.

2. Trim of the'character described comprising a binder` constituted as an elongated integral unit having longitudinally thereof straight portions angularly disposed with respect to each other and having a concave portion longitudinally between and joining said straight portions, and a clamp anchored to and interconnecting said straight portions adapted to pull the same toward each other in the direction of said concave portion, said clamp tending to reduce the `curvature of said concave portion.

3. Trim of the character described comprising a binder constituted as an elongated integral unit having longitudinally thereof straight portions angularly disposed with respect to each other and having a concave portion interposed longitudinally of and connecting said straight portions,` each of said straight portions having a planar flange and one of said flanges having an extension following the curvature of said concave portion, a tongue on the other flange, and means from said extension to said tongue forapplying tension one to the other.

4. Trim of the character described comprisinga binder constituted as an elongated integral unit having longitudinally thereof straight portions angularly disposed with respect to each other, said binder having a concave portioninterposed longitudinally of and connecting said straight portions, each of said straight portions having a planar flange, and clamping means connecting said flanges, said` clamping means having a part thereof following `the curvature of said concave portion.

5. Trim of the character described comprising a binder having, an elongated horizontally disposed straight portion and an upwardly disposed straight portion and an intervening concavely curved connecting portion constituted as an integral unit, each of said straight portions having an underlying flange integral/therewith and one of said flanges having an extension following the curvature of said connecting portion, the other said flange and said extension having substantially-parallel tongues projecting therefrom, and tensioning means in engagement with said tongues for drawing the same toward each other and pulling said flanges longitudinally toward each other.

6.` Trirnof the character described comprising a binder having an elongated horizontally disposed straight portion and an upwardly disposed straight portion and an intervening concavely curved connecting portion constituted as an integral unit, each of said straight portions having an underlying ange integral therewith, the flange of said horizontal portion having an extension following the curvature of said connecting portion to an upward disposition substantially in coplanar proximity to the said flange of the upwardly disposed straight portion, the upward end of said extension and the lower end of the ange of said upwardly `disposed portion having substantially parallel tongues projecting therefrom, and threaded tensioning means in engagement with said tongues for drawing the tongues toward each other and pulling said anges longitudinally toward each other.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,439,027 Stanitz Apr. 6, 1948 2,539,463 Norquist Ian. 30, 1951 2,586,112 Stroddard Feb. 19, 1952 2,646,326 Stanitz July 21, 1953 2,646,327 Sai July 21, 1953 2,702,221 Hammer Feb. 15, 1955 

